Days after videos showing some people offering namaz inside a newly constructed mall in the city went viral on social networking sites, police on Saturday detained around two dozen saffron activists, who tried to recite Hanuman Chalisa in the mall in protest against the offering of namaz.
According to police sources, members of the saffron outfit Rashtriya Hindu Sanrakshak Sena led by its leader Aditya Mishra clashed with the cops after they were denied entry into the mall.
Police had to use force to disperse the saffron activists, who were carrying saffron flags and chanting Jai Shri Ram, and it later detained 25 members of the outfit, sources said.
Earlier, a video showing two youths reciting Hanuman Chalisa inside the mall went viral on social media. Police said that security in and around the mall had been tightened.
Several saffron outfits had taken strong exception to the offering of namaz in the mall and the Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha had lodged a complaint with the police seeking action against them.
Prominent Ayodhya-based Hindu seer Raju Das, who was the Mahant of the famous Hanumangarhi temple in Ayodhya, had also said that he and his disciples would recite Hanuman Chalisa inside the mall, which was said to be the largest in Northern India. "We will recite Hanuman Chalisa if the police do not take stern action against the people offering namaz," the mahant said.
The mall management said that a probe had been ordered into the incident. "We are probing the matter...we are trying to ascertain if those offering namaz were employees or outsiders," a management spokesman said.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had a few days back inaugurated the mall.